Christmas
by ToraTsuin
Summary: Allen never really celebrated Christmas in the way the Order does. Being an orphan doesn't leave room for that, nor saving every penny for food and lodging with both Mana and Cross. But, unfortunately, Lavi is on a mission to reveal something, something Allen tries very hard to conceal.


Allen stumbled into the kitchen with a yawn. Lavi had attacked his door with the excitement of a small child on Christmas morning. Which, Allen remembered it was, as Timothy came by not too long after telling the older exorcist to wake up.

Sleep rumpled, Allen's presence caused a bit of commotion, as he was the last to awaken.

"Yer finally awake!" Timothy mumbled through some bread, "I can _finally_ open some presents now!"

"Yeah, go ahead Timothy." Allen nodded, walking to Jeryy, "I could do with some food to tide me over Jeryy"

"I have it already done for you sweety!" Jeryy smiled, "Merry Christmas Allen!"

"Thanks, Merry Christmas Jeryy" Allen took the plate, sitting next to Lavi and Lenalee

"You took longer than Yuu, Moyashi!" Lavi burst, "I thought you'd be excited for Christmas!"

"It was 4 in the morning Lavi" Allen sighed, "I was hoping Kanda stabbed you or something"

"That's mean!" Lavi looked at Lenalee pleadingly.

"Let's just open presents" Lenalee smiled, "Why don't you go Allen? This is your first Christmas with us right?"

Humming, Allen nodded, "I'll let Timothy open all his presents first. Then Tim has to open them, I always let Tim go before me"

Said gollum gave a toothy smile, nuzzling into his master's neck.

* * *

After all the gifts laid open, Allen wistfully smiled at his own small pile of gifts.

"Allen, is something wrong?" Lenalee asked, gaining those closest to the two's attention

Sheepishly, the cursed boy scratched his cheek, "Not really, just… Master didn't celebrate Christmas with me like this. He just threw my gift at my head, before going to his lady."

"So you never celebrated Christmas?" Lavi jumped up, staring wide eyed at his friend.

Swaying his locks, Allen shook his head, "When you're an orphan it leaves no room to celebrate, every moment needs to be spent making money for your next meal. Even when I joined Mana, we could spare precious little money. It all went to lodging and food. Anything we had left over was saved just in case we couldn't earn enough next time"

"What about your birthday?" Lave demanded, determined to find some happiness in Allen's childhood

"There was still no extra money to spend, even for my birthday," Allen sighed, sipping his smoothie, "Also, I was an orphan Lavi. I only had a vague idea of when my birthday might occur, but that was based on when the orphanage found me, and how old they thought I was. At least, that was before the place burned down."

There was silence as those who were still awake took in the child, the child who was suppose to be their youngest, the one who needed them more than they needed him. The one that deserved more than what he got, their precious Allen. Compassionate, optimistic, bi-polar Allen.

Allen, who had been left in the streets. Allen, who had his only shelter burned down. Allen, who undoubtedly built walls around himself due to being on the streets. Allen, who had both his father figures die. Allen, who was fighting to keep choosing his own path. Allen, who time and time again choose the Order over anything else. Allen, who didn't even know his true age. Allen, who still smiled like he wasn't going to war.

Allen, who they brought close to their hearts, and tried to crack his walls. Allen, who was sitting at his first true Christmas, when he _had _to be at 15 years old. Allen, who looked as if he might cry if he looked to long at his own pile of presents.

Lenalee brought the poor teen into a hug, and not even Komui could find the will to try to break them apart. Allen deserved more than a blasted hug. He deserved Mana, or hell at least Cross. Cross, who managed to buy a gift for his apprentice every single year without fail.

Lavi's eyes softened, before asking, "Allen, when do you usually celebrate your birthday?"

Allen, who had been released from Lenalee's grasp, smiled his heartbreakingly sad smile, "I don't"

"That can't be true!" Johnny burst, "I mean, you have had too at least once? In the orphanage?"

Allen shook his head, "They didn't, not in the orphanage. There are always too many sick, missing, or injured. Both Mana and Master asked when my birthday was, but I could only give them a range, as I had been told myself. One year Mana huffed, and just gave me a gift on Christmas, for my birthday and Christmas he said. But Master preferred to give me my gift on January 8th, saying birthdays and Christmas weren't the same thing"

Johnny gaped, "Was it just a gift? Or did you really celebrate it?"

"It was just a gift, if it wasn't clothes, I usually had to sell it so we could eat" Allen sighed, "After Master realized, he just started buying me all these gloves! Now I can't live without gloves."

"What did Mana give you?" Lenalee asked

"Gloves. All I ever got was gloves, gloves, gloves, and the occasional scarf!" Allen huffed, looking down at his pile, "There is even a pair in here! And a scarf!"

"When should we celebrate your birthday Allen?" Komui asked, smiling in amusement at Allen's glove problem

"What?" Allen blinked, "My birthday? Well, I honestly don't care. I mean either Christmas or January 8th works."

"Let's do it on the 8th then," Komui nodded, "We can switch it off every other year, to honor both choices"

"That's not necessary," Allen fought, "I never really cared for my birthday anyway."

"No we have to do it!" Lavi smiled, "I mean you buy things for our birthdays!"

"Well, that's because you actually care about your birthday" Allen muttered

"No, I think it's a great idea!" Lenalee chirped

Allen sighed, he wouldn't be able to change anything.

Lavi smirked at Allen's defeat, swinging an arm around the shorter's shoulder, "So Ally, I have been thinking, if you're an orphan, how come you've great speech patterns?"

Allen rolled his eyes, escaping from Lavi's arm, "Mana taught me. Although, Master once told me when I got really sick that my old speech patterns returned."

"So you don't ever slip?" Lavi's smirk seemed to widen, much to Allen's worry

"...I do slip sometimes. When I get really mad." Allen hesitantly voiced. He really hated slipping up, his words became clipped, and his accent came back.

* * *

Lavi was determined to anger the young exorcist. Everyone knew it, but they couldn't help the fact that they were curious to hear the boy's original speech patterns. He couldn't be a gentleman on the streets as a child, now could he?

Allen's eyebrow twitched as Lavi continued bugging him. He almost slipped twice, but held himself back since that's what Lavi wanted. As Lavi continued pushing buttons, Allen could feel his tongue slipping. If only he could escape the Red-Head for even five seconds.

Alas, that moment never came as Lavi danced on the last nerve holding the young whitette's mouth shut. In a flurry, Allen released language he hadn't since he was at least seven, just meeting one Mana Walker. "Bloody hell, would ya back off? Can't I get some peace 'round here? Jus' gimme a break!"

Stunned shock followed Allen's outburst. Then Lavi blink as he confirmed, "Allen, you're _British?_"

"Blimey, I coul'n't tell." Allen rolled his eyes, as he crossed his arm in what he knew was childish behavior, but if he was going to burst, he sure as hell wasn't going to do it half-assed. "English born 'n' bread, I am. Took bloody ages to get rid o' this damned accent. Then you jus' waltz up 'n' piss me off, here I am at square one!"

Lenalee stepped on Lavi's foot as he almost keeled over laughing, "How long will this last Allen?"

Allen paused, a thoughtful look on his face, "I should be right as rain after I calm down"

This time Lenalee couldn't stop Lavi as he cackled at Allen's vocabulary shift. Allen's look darkened, and he voiced, "Ya bloke, wanna learn 'y I was nicknamed Red?"

Quickly, Lavi stifled his laugh, and shook his head. "No I don't"

Something about Lavi being terrified of Allen's threats in his accent made him want to laugh, and so he did. It was a long, amused laugh, with bits and pieces of words in between. Finally stopping his laugh, Allen smirked at the worried crowd, as he knew his voice would be normal now, "That was a joke Lavi. I wouldn't ever hurt you. I'd just egg Kanda into doing it."

After that, everyone kept a healthy fear of both Black Allen and British Allen.

* * *

I don't mean to offend anyone. I perceive Allen's vocabulary to be affected by all the places he and Cross visited anyway, so it wouldn't be strictly British. Also, as he is angry, I thought I'd put apostrophes where I thought they made sense.


End file.
